Animal House…

30Aug

from Dr J Watson to Sherlock Holmes Esq:

Holmesy I’ve taken the liberty of summarising your comments on what I’d like to call “The Case of the Bed the was Nailed to the Floor” (unless you can come up with something more suitable). The events of last evening ran as thus: Sherlock Holmes and myself took the afternoon train from Paddington. Our arrival at the inn in late afternoon gave us the opportunity to peruse the grounds of the house before retiring to our room to lay in wait for the signal my colleague had spoken to the young lady about. As we waited for the appointed hour, I am ashamed to say Holmes beat me 21 games to 3 in our “chess tournament” and 14 games to 2 in “pocket billiards” (though I think this latter victory a little unfair, as my companion’s long and slender fingers gave him something of an advantage!)

When the signal came, we hurried outside and across the lawn, almost falling over one of Roylett’s baboon’s (which no doubt confirmed Holmes’ theory). Letting ourselves into Miss Stoner’s room, we ensconced ourselves into positions by which we could watch the proceedings. I say watch – with little more than our own eyes to counter the darkness with, there was nothing to do but sit and wait, listening to the chimes of the town clock in the distance. At around 3.00am a light flickered near the ventilator above our heads – flickered, and just as quickly went out, but that instant was enough to give Sherlock Holmes the chance to strike the creature with his walking stick and send it slithering back up the bell pull into the adjoining room where the murderer (for that is what he was) Roylett, waited for his victim’s cry. It was his own cry of pain and terror however, that came to our ears only seconds later, as the snake bit into his evil flesh, ending his vile antics, and indeed, his life.

My medical viewpoint aside, I believe the bounder got his just desserts and I would not expect Holmes to feel the slightest remorse at what he attributed to be his hand in Roylett’s unfortunate death.